


Hard Times for Some

by EventHorizon



Category: Sherlock (TV), Sherlock Holmes & Related Fandoms
Genre: COVID-19, Coronavirus, Don't copy to another site, M/M, Vampires, mystrade, pre-Mystrade, social distancing
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-03-22
Updated: 2020-03-22
Packaged: 2021-02-28 19:08:33
Rating: Mature
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,468
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/23262223
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/EventHorizon/pseuds/EventHorizon
Summary: Being a vampire during a modern pandemic isn't an easy thing, as Mycroft has learned...
Relationships: Mycroft Holmes & Greg Lestrade, Mycroft Holmes/Greg Lestrade
Comments: 61
Kudos: 237





	Hard Times for Some

“Oh my… she does look tempting.”

Mycroft separated from the shadows that were hiding his presence and slowly moved towards the young woman…

Shit.

“Woof woof woof!!!”

… walking her dog in the park. Damnable yippy canine. The size of a bloody teacup so he couldn’t see the vermin before revealing himself.

“Fuck off, you! I’ve got a stake and I’m not afraid to use it!”

“That would do an insignificant amount of damage to someone my age, dear lady, however, this is a new shirt and I quite fancy keeping it intact. Very well, might I offer a tidy payment for…”

“You’re not sucking my blood, you ruddy leech! I’m a proper lady. And my Darren wouldn’t like it. Not one fucking bit.”

This aperitif was quickly souring.

“50 pounds.”

“That’s… oh. Well, that’s a nice round number. Maybe just a little taste. I do have my eye on a new telly and that would…”

“Let’s move along here, what say? I appreciate the physical distancing for your little chat, but I suspect it’s not going to last very long, things being what they are. Be off with you, madam, and stay safe, alright? Lots of creeps and weirdos lurking about at night.”

While the woman and dog hustled off, one tall, glaring vampire and one shorter, grinning DI faced off on the path, noticeably closer than the recommended two meters of space apart.

“That was fiendish, Lestrade.”

“Just doing my bit to keep people safe in this terrible time.”

“I cannot contract the coronavirus, nor can I transmit it. You are well aware of that.”

“Yeah, well, but… better safe than sorry.”

“It was inexcusably villainous and you are… proud of your heinous act.”

“A bit, yeah.”

“I am wasting away…”

“You had dinner with your brother two hours ago.”

“Human food.”

“Which you adore.”

“Which does not provide sufficient nutrition to keep me healthy.”

Greg’s eyes softened and his cheeky grinned faded a little because his vampire friend was right. They could make do with standard food and a bit of animal blood now and again, but it did long-term damage if vamps didn’t have human blood on a fairly regular basis.

“Ok, that’s true, but there are bars for that and…”

“They are closed. Remember?”

“Oh yeah. Yeah, that did actually slip my mind. Though why it did, I’m not sure since the outrage when they were classified ‘non-essential’ was loud enough to be heard on the Moon. Any movement on that?”

Mycroft sighed and ran a hand through his hair, dislodging his much-hated curl from its gel-enforced prison.

“Some, but it is slow-going. Our PM, as you know, is thick as the mud in a pig’s sty and has not a single useful advisor in his circle. The consensus is that because we can survive without human blood for some time, then we can endure until the current crisis abates. However, given we have no idea how long this situation shall continue…”

“I am a bit surprised you just didn’t… make it happen.”

That Greg was waggling his fingers as if casting a spell made Mycroft both snort and smile fondly at his ridiculous acquaintance.

“That is illegal, as you know.”

“Which has never bothered you once in your entire life.”

“True, however, there is a time and place and I do not feel we are quite at the stage where more draconian, and surreptitious, measures might be in order.”

“I understand that. Hold onto your best cards to play later. Then… private blood-escort service?”

“The agencies are closed. Though we cannot transmit the virus, many households employ human staff and London’s blood services are laudably concerned about their employees’ wellbeing. I cannot fault their decisions, but it does reduce options to…”

Waving a hand around at the empty park and further towards the empty street to demonstrate his non-verbalized message.

“… I would ask, though, Detective Inspector, why _you_ are out at this time of night?”

“Same as that dreadful woman, taking a bit of fresh air. Admittedly, I don’t have a dog to walk, but we’re all stressed and on edge. A nice walk away from people to clear out the lungs, and the brain, is a good thing. My flat’s not far and I like to have a walk when I have a moment free.”

Vampires cannot read minds, despite the claims of lurid literature, but we are rather skilled at detecting lies, good sir.

“Ah, I see. Now, would you like to provide the real reason or shall we let your pitiful lie stand as your testimony?”

“Very official, sir. Well done. Ok… Sherlock phoned and said you seemed… he said you might go out on a bit of a hunt tonight. Something about stabbing your roast beef more bloody than it already was. I think he was worried about you.”

“Given there is not a human alive that can physically overcome me, I highly doubt that.”

“It was more, perhaps, that you might accidentally leap out on a Daily Mail reporter and wouldn’t that be a thing for the front page of the tabloids. I’ve met your Mum, sir. Maybe no human can overpower you, but I shudder to think what she’d do if her eldest was caught in a scandal like that. On top of lowering himself to bite someone from the Daily Mail.”

Sherlock… horrid little brat…

“Balderdash. It surely was more the case he was hoping you would find me so I would be denied sustenance and feel my vigor decline even further.”

And be embarrassed in front of one of the miniscule numbers of people, human or vampires, with whom I am actually… cordial.

“That doesn’t _quite_ sound like him, but it does a bit so you could have a point. He wouldn’t want to see you really suffer, though, so let’s keep a good thought, what say.”

Mycroft waved off the words and Greg read something new in the vampire’s eyes. Frustration. It was easy to understand why, of course. Even he could see that Mycroft was looking a bit paler than normal, which meant his flawless skin was nearly snow white. Which the man wore very well, truth be told, but that degree of pale was a sign that a vampire was… hungry. Not for a nice serving of fish and chips, which he couldn’t picture the elegant, sophisticated vampire enjoying anyway, but for a healthy drink of human blood. With access curtailed to near zero, unless you just roamed a park hoping for a willing donor to wander by, there wasn’t much in the way of sources what with social isolation and businesses closing due to the health crisis. They’d already had to arrest a few of the vamp community for trying to break into hospitals and blood banks to put a few pints under their coats. It… it _was_ part of his job to serve the public and there wasn’t a precise definition as to what ‘serving’ might actually extend to in a time of need…

“You know…”

“Many things.”

“So I always suspected. Anyway, since we’re here…”

“Yes?”

“… I’m not exactly lacking in blood, you know.”

“P…Pardon?”

“I’m a solid chap, so I wager I can spare a bit with no ill effects. I do it for the blood drives, so there’s no reason we can’t hook my veins up to your teeth as easily as a needle.”

“Are you… serious, Detective Inspector?”

“If I couldn’t grow back what you take, then I’d think more carefully about it, but yes, I’m serious. It’s better than having you prowling the park, getting harassed by yappy dogs. And… you need it. Even I can see that, all cheekiness and being a berk aside. Besides, I’ve never been bitten by a vampire. It’ll be fun!”

As long as it doesn’t hurt. It’s not supposed to… much… but I’m a bit of a baby when it comes to ouchies. Needs must when the devil drives, though…

“I… I do not know what to say, Detective Inspector.”

“That you’ll do it is a good place to start.”

“I… yes, of course. I will gratefully accept your kind offer.”

“Great! How… how do you want to do this?”

“There are many places from which to feed.”

“And?”

“The wrist is a common method, though it is somewhat slow. The neck is faster, but more… intimate.”

Intimate. That’s a word. It surely was.

“Intimate, huh… ok… yeah, I can see that. Even if it’s just a bloke offering a pint to his mate. Faster, though, you say?”

“Yes, and with less… discomfort… for the donor.”

The ouchie factor. It _was_ something to consider. Ouchie or intimacy… this was actually a conundrum.

“Detective Inspector?”

“Just thinking a moment. Let’s go with the neck, I’d say. I can be a bit of an infant for stingy, cutty, stabby pain, so the less of that the better. You do _not_ want to know me when I have a splinter. I make everyone around me crazy. Donovan once threatened to cut off my finger and I was genuinely considering letting her do it.”

“Most… illuminating. Very well, if you will release the top button of your shirt. For access, that is.”

“Yeah, that makes sense. Ok… button undone and… is one enough?”

“Hmmm… it is a rather modest shirt.”

“Does that mean yes or no?”

“A second would facilitate the process.”

“Two buttons it is, then! Pop, there is goes. Better?”

“Much. Now, if you will turn around…”

“Right. It’s done from the back. Just like in the films.”

“Either arrangement, front or back is possible, though I find a front-facing feeding is more easily accomplished If both parties are horizontal.”

“Ooh. That boosts the intimacy factor, I wager.”

“Rather a lot. Shall we begin?”

“Might as well. Glad I had a shower before I came out so I’m not stinky or sticky for you.”

“With a rather… coconutty soap, too.”

“You can smell that?”

“Vampire senses are tremendously keen. And mine are keener than most.”

“Sorry? For the coconutty part, I mean. But, hey! It’ll be like a tropical drink. One of those pina coladas. Just red. And without the festive umbrella and fancy glass.”

Mycroft was staring at him like he’d gone mad. It was fair.

“Carry on, sir.”

Mycroft pointedly cleared his throat, then moved behind the now-turned-around Greg, moving his shirt collar slightly and sinking his fangs into the DI’s throat.

“OKAY! That… well, that wasn’t as bad as I was anticipating. More a warm pressure than an icepick stab.”

Warm was the word for it, too. Warm and… soft? He couldn’t really feel Mycroft’s fangs so much as his lips. And tongue. Which were rather nice, actually. Gently sucking and licking his throat… the intimacy! Oh my god he was caught in the intimacy! Not that it was a bad thing. Definitely a nice, pleasurable thing. Which was what one hoped to have from intimacy, but sometimes it didn’t quite work that way. This was fully living up to intimacy expectations, though, and somewhat superbly, at that.

Oh no. No no no no no… he couldn’t get hard. That was completely inappropriate! Not that his cock shared that opinion, stupid stiffening bastard. The intimacy trap! It was certainly of the cock-filling sort, miserable, evil trap that it was. And he wasn’t even wearing a coat to hide the evidence. Bloody jumper! You don’t do a fucking thing to conceal the problem, do you? No, not a single, solitary thing, lazy bit of wool.

Ooh, that’s especially nice, Mycroft. Little tongue wiggle… oh, I definitely like that. And _that_. Wrapping your arm around my waist. Making certain I don’t get woozy and fall, are you? That’s considerate. And nice. Warm, soft, sensually nice. Nope! Not falling into the intimacy trap again! But, oh yes, draw me a bit closer, you sexy bastard. That feels amazing…

“Hey! Get a room, you two!”

The amazingness is gone! But I’m not woozily falling over, so that’s something in my favor.

“Dear heavens…”

“Well… that’s a thing.”

“I… yes. Quite. Most… thing-ish.”

Greg cleared his head slightly then turned back to face Mycroft who was…

Hard. Not even the vampire’s expensive, bespoke trousers could hide the hefty bulge that merrily seemed to be waving hello to the one Greg was currently sporting. The mutual twitching could not be denied by either of the captives of the intimacy trap. Both of whom seemed to be hoping beyond hope that the other would be the first to break the increasingly awkward silence. Given Mycroft had a vampire’s capacity for stillness and resistance to the chill which was beginning to seep through Greg’s erection-showcasing jumper, the DI decided it might as well be him.

“Ok… I think we both leaned a little something there. Not sure what, but there it is. I… uh… did you… finish? That came out wrong. Try again… were you satisfied? Oh god… what’s wrong with my brain! I said that last part out loud, didn’t I? Shit…”

Mycroft reached out to the quickly dissolving DI, used one long finger to wipe at the smear of blood on Greg’s neck and, after a moment’s indecision, gave the finger a slow lick.

“Yes. I _was_ satisfied. Your blood is… astonishing, Detective Inspector. Eagerly could I make a full meal of it.”

Did Mycroft say that with tone? There was lick and maybe look to go along with the lick, but was tone added in there with the look and lick? That… that was interesting. And a man of his rank didn’t just leave interesting lounging about like that without giving it the what for…

“Well, sir… one might say that being just a… snack… is a touch bruising to a chap’s ego.”

I can do tone, too, Prince of Darkness! Not as well as you, because I don’t have the look and lick tools quite as readily on hand, but don’t sell this old copper short in the tone area!

“I would never offer you insult, Lestrade. I would offer… very, _very_ different things.”

Now that was a properly professional use of tone. And loom. Gotta add in loom since that tall bugger just took a special step forward and if this unconcealed old-copper’s erection got any harder it’d cut through his trousers. Which would expedite matters handily, come to think of it.

“Maybe… some of that horizontal business you were mentioning?”

“My thinking precisely. And I believe _you_ were mentioning your flat was close?”

“Five-minutes on foot.”

“And by flight?”

“Four extra minutes for horizontaling.”

“I hope you are not subject to air sickness, Detective Inspector.”

“I can last one minute, no matter what.”

“I am rather counting on you lasting far longer than that.”

“Your wish is my command.”


End file.
